Two weeks ago North Carolina's Poet Laureate, Fred Chappell, came to
Asheville to talk about his work as a writer. I could not attend, but
my partner did, so I heard a first-hand account to accompany news reports
of his visit. One autobiographical gem that this fine poet, novelist,
and teacher shared with his audience was that he grew up in "the
hub of the Arts world -- Canton."
Now, anyone who was reared in these mountains
knows that Canton's claim to cultural fame derives, at best, from
its manufacture of paper that words might be written on. But Chappell's
sardonic comment got me thinking about how much culture thrives in Appalachia,
despite the area's cartoon reputation as a benighted backwater.
From North Carolina's far west to Mitchell County in the north
and Rutherford in the south, creative talent and an appreciation for
the arts are nurtured by our citizens. Woodcarver Goingback Chiltosky,
writers Wilma Dykeman, Fred Chappell, and Thomas Wolfe, painter Stone
Roberts, musicians Roberta Flack, Warren Hayes, Annie Lalley, Brian
Sutton, and Doc Watson, comedienne Moms Mabley, puppeteer Hobie Ford,
the Penland school artisans.... What a diverse list of talents with
roots in our ancient mountains.
This ongoing history of creativity has
also helped make Asheville, the region's geographic hub, a preferred
destination for visiting exhibits and artists. In early October alone
we can enjoy "Abstractions" from the Whitney's collection
at the Asheville Art Museum and paintings by Jose Ibarra at the YMI,
and attend performances by Bela Fleck, Kate Clinton, Freddy Cole, Elton
John, and the Bolshoi Ballet.
What is it about our region that grows
talent the way Texans grow beef? Western North Carolinians who paint,
make music, write, dance, carve, weave, are not a new phenomenon, nor
is the appreciation they earn from their neighbors. Perhaps these mountains
give strength to live our convictions, and teach us to respect those
whose convictions lead them, and us, onto untrodden paths.
Long before whites arrived the Cherokee
were a self-sufficient people who farmed and traded with other native
tribes. Their crafts, arts, and history developed apart and distinct.
Isolated, but not isolationists, Cherokee were neither subjects nor
conquerors of other nations, and evolved into a strong people with a
multifaceted heritage. Similarly, separate from distant

cultural centers,
with terrain that was difficult to settle, farm, or develop industrially,
the mountains attracted independent men and women who by necessity and
by choice thought for and entertained themselves. The early years of
white migration into the region brought those who, like the families
of Cades Cove, maintained and developed their traditions without regard
for what outsiders might think.
This century, too, iconoclasts have found
their way into the mountains, just as our native artists have found
the strength and independence to pursue their art their way. The natives
often leave to build their careers and return as successful artists
to their home territory. The newcomers seek out the variety of home-grown
and imported arts and entertainment that are so readily available. While
Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville were growing into booming metropolises,
Asheville was quietly drawing on the cultural vibrancy of the surrounding
mountains, whose people developed their own distinctive art forms and
movements.
Bittersweet Productions, the company
responsible for bringing the Bolshoi to Asheville, is owned by one native
and one transplanted Carolinian. Deborah Austin left Asheville as a
young woman and returned to lead arts organizations such as the Arts
Council (later the Arts Alliance) and Asheville Community Theatre. Keith
Yeatman migrated from Canada as a young man and found he could carve
out a life here as an actor, producer, and businessman. Together, they
see the region's people, both natives and transplants, as an audience
eager to appreciate the highest level of cultural development.
The Bolshoi's first visit to Asheville
drew crowds and appreciation comparable to Nureyev's performance
here in the 1980s, cementing Asheville's reputation as an international
cultural mecca. The company's return this Saturday offers those
who missed the earlier visit another opportunity to see a performance
that has thrilled audiences all over the world. I plan to be there,
glad of the opportunity to enjoy world- class dance in our world-class
city.
And lest anyone be offended, let me assure you I am deeply attached
to Canton, where many of my relatives have lived for more than half
a century.